Wiki News/New on DVD: 'iCarly: The Movie,' 'The American,' 'Resident Evil: Afterlife,' 'United States of Tara: The Second Season' and 'Archer: The Complete Season One'
'The American' 2 1/2 stars = Average Ratings explained George Clooney is an American who specializes in crafting custom guns for assassins and isn't afraid to use his own weapons, if necessary, in this suspense thriller from director Anton Corbijn. As the movie opens, Jack shoots his way out of snowy Sweden and flees to a small Italian village in the misty mountains of Abruzzo. There, he meets a priest who suspects Jack has lost his way, a woman who orders a custom weapon and an Italian prostitute who represents love and the chance at a new life. "The American" is based on the Martin Booth novel published as "A Very Private Gentleman." Screenwriter Rowan Joffe streamlined the novel and altered the ending and other details. Jack, played by Mr. Clooney with a purposely harsh look, is a solitary figure who keeps his own counsel, which leaves the audience on the sidelines. Although a voice-over can be a crutch, it might have lent a richness and depth to Jack and explained how and why he came to be in this line of work and whether he considers redemption a possibility. "The American" is a case where less is less, although it provides a showcase for Mr. Clooney's dramatic skills and keeps the audience guessing about who will live, who will die and whose finger will be on the trigger. The DVD is stingy with extras: five deleted scenes totaling five minutes, an 11-minute featurette called "Journey to Redemption: The Making of 'The American' " and commentary by the director. -- Barbara Vancheri, Post-Gazette movie editor ' iCarly: The Movie' 4 stars = Funny Director Dan Schnider brought the film adaptation out from the popular TV series on Nickelodeon from it's 2007 debut from it's huge 13 million viewers. Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove) spent too much time filming her popular webshow. So her brother Spencer Shay (Jerry Trainor) says it's time to take a break, so he takes her and her two friends Sam and Freddie (Jennette McCurdy and Nathan Kress) on a free trip to Los Vegas. There, it lead them up with an ultimate decision to quit filming more episodes of iCarly. -- Rick Bentley, McClatchy Newspapers ' Resident Evil: Afterlife' 1 1/2 stars = Bad Ratings explained Paul W.S. Anderson isn't trying anymore. The man who has written all four of the "Resident Evil" scripts -- and directs the latest -- is just cutting and pasting together random thoughts. Super heroine Alice (Milla Jovovich) searches for signs of human life after the virus that was released in the original film has wiped out most of the planet. In what's become the norm, Alice eventually finds a few survivors, tries to help them escape from the zombies, watches as most get killed and then stands staring off in the distance looking for the next inevitable sequel. -- Rick Bentley, McClatchy Newspapers TV ON DVD ' United States of Tara: The Second Season' 3 stars = Good Ratings explained Toni Collette continues to shine as the wife and mother trying to deal with multiple personalities. She appears to have everything under control because of a new therapist -- but even that relationship has a dark twist. The real unsung hero is John Corbett, who plays Tara's husband. It'd be very easy to dislike Tara because of all the trouble her personalities cause. Mr. Corbett's role is a necessary emotional counter balance. -- Rick Bentley, McClatchy Newspapers ' Archer: The Complete Season One: The Second Season' 2 stars = Mediocre Ratings explained Sterling Archer (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) is a super spy working for the International Secret Intelligence Service. He's got the skills of James Bond but the focus of a 3-year-old. Most of the comedy is milked from the personal relationships in the office, which start off tedious and only grow more annoying. The adult material comes across as merely an attempt to be shocking. It's hard to be shocked when you're bored. -- Rick Bentley